Articulated bogie for track laying or other vehicles



V. G. LOYD Oct. 9,1945.

ARTICULATED BOGIE FOR TRACK LAYING OR OTHER VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1944 I Inventor VIVIAN GRAHAM LO\"D M Wi A ltorneyS Oct. 9', 1945; i I V. G. LOYD 2,386,620 ARTICULATED BOGIE FOR TRACK 'LAQYING OR OTHER VEHICLES I Filed May 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Inventor vw|A- annual L0\'D Aliorney5.

Patented Oct. 9, 1945 road shocks bysarticulating or ibogeying abaut I the axis of vthe appropriate suspension and there'- by preventing movement taking; place ever the whole of .the,suspension and minimising wear, whilst, o'ver across country L-the suspensions take care otthe abnormal irregularitiesoi the beingstr ayersed, the articulating aetiongplus the spr n acti n, a c mm a h m s s-re ie irregularities more effectively than most other types of suspensions. The invention is also applicablegtorthe {landingywheels of 'aircraft which can be made with or without tracks.

Although the accommodation of the articui being applicable to either .QfthetypesIillufirated v lated bogies to the rough terrain is most effective and the chief object of this invention is to provide means having a steadying influence on the present undesirably uncontrolled articulation of the suspension. 7

According to'this invention the suspension appropriate to each track wheel is adapted to yield, or to articulate in response to cross country or abnormal irregularities independently of, or relatively to, means adapted to afford articulation in response to normal road irregularities, a movement limiting device being provided to control within predetermined limits the articulation due to normal road irregularities.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the wheels are connected through independently operable suspension means to a common mounting bracket mounted to oscillate about the axis of a suspension axle or tube, stops being provided to limit the angle of oscillation of said mounting bracket, and spring means being incorporated in said independently operable suspension means to yield to shocks or displacements transmitted to the wheels due to cross country and abnormal irregularities, the arrangement being such that said stops are spaced to afford articulation of the whole suspension system within the limits normally required for normal road surface irregularities, and any further movements are absorbed by the spring means.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect drawings are appended hereto illustrating somewhat diagrammatically two embodiments thereof, wherein,

I in proximity to a lug v "nm'iommia Boom FORTRAGK I onpgrnnnvnmoms r: i ia i' a %mb 1 ,'E gl pd j A u ments 16, 19-44, Serial sashes hln fireat December 31,;.1943 l V (o1. This invention relates to a ttoralateel 5 0? res,

2811:1045 A H I U Figure 1; is a si-de eley-ationshowing-the inyentio-n applied to a balanced ror-isy-mmetrical-type WIE S- ix I :1 a

Figure 2 is a side elellatinn showin t t tion appliedto a suspensioin'tsystem embodying twin wheels carried by a' rocking beam on one side of the axle ortube anda sing-1e wheel the otherlside. I L p Figures '3 4 are fra eat r yiews illustrat'ing modifications in which a si e t p red adjustable stop. employed, these modifications inEigures .1 and 2.

Y j' lReferrin .to the drawings hull'l orphassis i ot en y'eh'icle carries an axle, orituhe I 2 wh h is mounted "to articulate a'centre'bracke't l 06m mon to both suspensions appropriate to the fore and aft track wheels. These wheels are shown in Figure 1 as identical wheels 5 with symmetrical suspensions, and in Figure 2 as a single wheel 6 on one side of the bracket 4 and a pair of smaller wheels 1 carried by a rocker beam 8 on the other side of thebracket. The track is indicated by the reference numeral 18.

The angle of oscillation a of the bracket 4 is kept within the limits adequate for the requirements appropriate to the rise and fall of the said, wheels fornormal road surface irregularities by providing a pair of adjustable abutments 9 adjacent opposite sides of the bracket '4 and I0 integral with such bracket. These stops are formed with cushions to absorb the impact of the lug l0, such cushions preferably being rubber pads or blocks II.

A pair of arms H are connected at their inner ends to the bracket 4 by pivot pins l3 in close proximity to the axle 2, such arms being bifurcated to receive the wheels 5, or the wheel 6 and beam 8, and the axles M (or axle I4 and journal if in the arrangement shown in Figure 2), ap propriate thereto, so that such arms are free to articulate individually and relatively to the oscillatable bracket 4.

Two, or two pairs, of coiled compression springs l6 are connected across the bracket 4 and lugs I! at the outer or free end of the arms l2, and the normal loaded compression of these springs is such that they will transmit the rise and fall of thewheels to the bracket 4 when the wheels negotiate normal irregularities on a road surface, with hardly perceptible increase in the compression of the springs, whereby the bracket 4 oscillates between the resilient stops II to allow articulation of the whole suspension within the range afiorded by such stops. Any further or very appreciably minimised, resulting in m ducing the wear on the tracks. That isto sayfor all normal road running there is just enough 10 ing or rough riding which is due to the lack of steadying influence with existing bogief type suspensions on track laying vehicles is obviated yieldable relatively to said bracket to accommodate abnormal or rough terrain irregularities.

2. An articulated bogie for a vehicle comprising a bracket mounted to oscillate upon an axle member, track wheels disposed opposite sides of said bracket, suspension arms carrying the wheels and pivoted to said bracket, shock ,absorbing means connected across said arms and said bracket adapted to transmit the rise and fall of the wheels to said bracket, and stops limiting the angle of movement of said bracket to within the approximate range to accommodate normal road surface irregularities, said shock absorbing means being yieldable relatively to movement to meet the road, irregularities, whilst on rough terrain, after the limit of artic ulation has been reached, i. e. when thelug; I0

contacts the stops II, the wheel suspensions act as independent units, and this is found to increase the stability of the vehicle.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1. An articulated bogie for a vehicle comprising a bracket mounted to oscillate upon an axle member, track wheels disposed opposite sides of said bracket, suspension arms carrying the wheels and mounted to pivot independently of said bracket, shock absorbing means arranged to transmit the rise and fall of the wheels to said bracket, and stops limiting the angle of movement of said bracket to within the approximate range to accommodate normal road surface irregularities, said shock absorbing means being said bracket toaccommodate abnormal or rough terrain irregularities. 3. An articulated bogie for a vehicle comprising a bracket mounted to oscillate upon an axle 1 member, track wheels disposed opposite sides of said bracket, suspension arms carrying the wheels and'pivoted to said bracket, coiled com- VIVIAN GRAHAM LOYD. 

